Judith P. Josephson
Growing Up in a New Century: 1890-1914
(Lerner Publications, 2003)

"We came back and had a dance on the roof until Father and Mother heard and quickly stopped [us]."
-Kermit Roosevelt, age fifteen, writing about New Year's Eve at his home, the White House, in 1908

The turn of the century brought big changes for America and for American children. Although many children worked in factories and mines, others like President Roosevelt's eight-year-old son, Kermit, were given the chance to play and have fun, unlike their parents and grandparents. Unlike their mothers and grandmothers, girls such as Sarah Evelyn Baylor could ride a bike wearing "bloomers" instead of long skirts. With the advent of electricity, cars, flight, indoor plumbing, and more, it was a whole new world for America's first twentieth-century children. Through personal accounts in letters, diaries, photos, and more, look into the past to see how actual children lived and grew up during the first years of the "century of the child."

Our America Series:
Growing Up in Pioneer America:1800 to 1890
Growing Up in a New Century:1890 to 1914
Growing Up in World War II: 1941 to 1945

ReviewsGrowing Up in a New Century:1890-1914

Runner-Up, San Diego Book Awards, “Juvenile History”